Recently, I heard this talk by the British-American philosopher Alan Watts that just blasted my heart wide open. This is the part that actually moved me to tears.
“LIFE IS LIKE MUSIC… we thought of life by analogy, with a journey, with a pilgrimage, which had a serious purpose at the end. And the thing was to get to that end: success, or whatever it is, or maybe heaven after you’re dead. But we missed the point the whole way along…
It was a musical thing — and you were supposed to sing, or dance, while the music was being played.”
This really made me think. When I listen to music I don’t wait till the last note to enjoy the song. In fact most of the time, if it’s a song or a piece of music I love, I don’t want the song to end. I’m not listening to the past or even thinking about the next part of the song, the future. I’m just in the energy of the music right now.
I want to witness and enjoy the magnificence of a beautiful voice one note at a time. I want to dance like crazy to a song that makes me want to get up and move. When I’m listening to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata – actually one of my favorite pieces – the very first couple of notes are so beautiful that I feel impelled to keep listening. And each note of this moving piece draws me into the next group of notes. And although the last note is gorgeous, so are all of the notes that led up to this last note.
Life pours itself out through us, and around us one moment at a time. We witness the beauty of life by noticing it moment by moment. We experience the beauty of life by celebrating it. So, take at least one moment today and notice it. Celebrate something that feels good in your life.
I’m sitting here in my beautiful LA apartment looking out my amazing French windows onto this interesting winter day. It’s cold and windy, but the sun is shining gloriously and it feels alive outside. This is an amazing moment to reflect on, to let myself be happy with just this moment.
So, I pause from writing, and let myself do that. I let myself be happy. I let myself smile and feel the peace that is always here waiting for me. That feels so good.
My invitation to you - Just stop. Breathe right now. Smile and let your self be happy.
Start right now to create something that makes you happy. Or celebrate something that you already created: a song, a character in a play, your singing voice, a book, your business, your friends, your relationship, a new way of doing something at work, your healthy body, your home, a really good meal, and especially your children. Find something in your life to celebrate today. Experience the joy that life is.
Life is like music.
Faith